Campus Alert Archive
DSU

Innocent Bystander Killed by Stray Bullet During Dormitory Altercation at Delaware State

DEshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

In the early morning of April 21, 2024, at approximately 1:40 AM EDT, shots were fired near Warren-Franklin Residential Hall at Delaware State University, killing 18-year-old Camay Mitchell DeSilva of Wilmington, who was visiting a friend on campus. DeSilva was an innocent bystander hit by a stray bullet during an altercation over money between two groups. Two men, Destry Jones and Damien Hinson, were later arrested; Hinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and Jones to manslaughter.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
0
Institution
Delaware State University
Hbcu · DE
~5,600 studentsDSU Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction151 chars
DSU ALERT: Shots fired near Warren-Franklin Hall. Shelter in place immediately. All campus residents remain indoors. Police are on scene investigating.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

DSU Police responded to a call about shots fired at approximately 1:40 AM EDT near Warren-Franklin Residential Hall on April 21, 2024
Campus residents were asked to shelter in place at approximately 3:29 AM EDT via an emergency alert — roughly 1 hour 49 minutes after officers first responded, a delay students noted
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction228 chars
DSU ALERT: The campus is closed today, Sunday, April 21. No visitation is permitted. All events are canceled. Police patrols have been increased. Classes are also canceled for Monday, April 22. The campus will reopen on Tuesday.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

DSU closed the campus for Sunday and Monday following the shooting, with classes resuming Tuesday
All visitation was suspended and police patrols were increased across campus
Context

Background

At approximately 1:40 AM EDT on April 21, 2024, officers from the Dover Police Department and DSU Police responded to reports of shots fired near Warren-Franklin Residential Hall on the Delaware State University campus. They found 18-year-old Camay Mitchell DeSilva suffering from a gunshot wound to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. DeSilva, a Delaware Technical Community College student from Wilmington, had been visiting her best friend on campus and planned to transfer to DSU in the fall to study cybersecurity. The investigation revealed that Destry Jones and Damien Hinson had gotten into an altercation over money with two other individuals in the area of the Tubman-Laws dormitory. Jones gave Hinson a firearm, and Hinson fired seven shots. None of the intended targets were hit, but a stray bullet struck DeSilva, who was outside near Warren-Franklin Hall. Both Jones and Hinson were arrested in May 2024 and initially charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses. In September 2025, Hinson (19) pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years; Jones (22) pleaded guilty to manslaughter. DSU closed the campus for two days and canceled all events following the shooting.
Analysis

Key Findings

The victim was an innocent bystander visiting a friend; she had no connection to the altercation that led to the shooting
DeSilva was planning to transfer to DSU in the fall, making her death particularly tragic for the campus community
Seven shots were fired during the altercation but none hit the intended targets; a single stray bullet killed DeSilva
Outcome
Camay Mitchell DeSilva, 18, was killed by a stray bullet. She was not a DSU student but a Delaware Technical Community College student who planned to transfer to DSU. Damien Hinson, 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, weapons offenses, and first-degree conspiracy and was sentenced to 40 years. Destry Jones, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, weapons offenses, and first-degree conspiracy.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Police Investigating Homicide on Delaware State University Campus (Dover Police)
    doverpolice.org
  2. News
    Police identify woman fatally shot at Delaware State University (CNN)
    cnn.com
  3. News
    2 men arrested in death of woman visiting Delaware State University (CNN)
    cnn.com
  4. Official
    DOJ secures convictions, sentencing in college campus gun death (State of Delaware)
    news.delaware.gov
  5. News
    Delaware State University shooting victim identified (CBS Philadelphia)
    cbsnews.com
Tags
shootingfatalhbcudelawareinnocent-bystanderresidence-hallstray-bulletcampus-closure
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion